Dat dat!

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So called reactive responses are a kind of backchanneling, where the listener interjects responses to the one who's speaking. Shaetlan has a special form of reactive response which means that you're not impressed or don't quite agree. It's usually a third person pronoun or the remote demonstrative: dat dat! / he he! / shø shø! / dey dey! For example:

— John has bought himself a Jaguar.

— Dat dat! ("I see / Good for him / Tut tut")

— She said she had tried her best.

— She she! ("Och nonsense / As if")

— They said they didn't get much to eat.

— They they! ("Oh pooh [they had plenty!]")

The expression is difficult to capture in Standard English, but can be translated roughly as "oh pooh!" / "not a bit!" / "I see!" / "is that so?" / "as if!" or something like that.

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Picture: Julie Dennison (@juliedennison).